


Compliments to the Chef

by Oliver__Niko



Series: Fluff Bingo [4]
Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Embarrassed Mikleo (Tales of Zestiria), Excessive compliments and Mikleo turning into a puddle, Fluff, I'd say save him but you know he loves it, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Sappy, Sorey is a Sweetheart (Tales of Zestiria)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:02:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23185963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oliver__Niko/pseuds/Oliver__Niko
Summary: Mikleo is being a sulky perfectionist, meaning that it's now Sorey's mission to shower him in endless compliments.
Relationships: Mikleo/Sorey (Tales of Zestiria)
Series: Fluff Bingo [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658830
Comments: 14
Kudos: 75





	Compliments to the Chef

**Author's Note:**

> Even if I'm facing consistent writer's block with SoCS, that doesn't mean I still don't LOVE writing oneshots of these two. For the prompt 'excessive compliments' from my fluff bingo. Thank you Isaiah for the request!
> 
> I hope you enjoy.

Another groan, and another instance of Mikleo burying his face into the arms he rests on a counter. He shrugs off the hand which lands on his shoulder, slouching that little more.

“Mikleo—”

“This. Is. _Annoying.”_

He takes a deep breath. A moment of silence, able to feel Sorey watching him. He lets out a sigh as he straightens up, although not without brushing his hair down and shifting his collar as though nothing has happened.

Although judging by Sorey’s amused smile, this won’t be brushed aside so easily.

“You’re not going to get it perfect every time,” says Sorey, glancing at the plate of butter cookies left to one side. “Lailah’s only just recently started teaching you how to work with your water affinity.”

“It’s still infuriating to not be as good at baked goods as I am with cold desserts.”

“Well, considering I’m nowhere near as good at baking as cooking, I think you’re doing well.” Sorey scoops up one of the cookies. “They don’t even look bad at all!”

“They’re overdone.”

“By like, the _teeniest_ amount.” Mikleo rolls his eyes, a strange sense of fear rising inside him as Sorey takes a bite. A moment of silence, before—be it fake or not, Mikleo doesn’t know—Sorey’s face lights up. “They taste _fine!”_

“The _taste_ isn’t bad.” Mikleo folds his arms. “But they’re not _baked_ properly. They’re dry.”

“Oh, come on—does it really matter when they taste good? And it’s all going to look the same in our bellies either way?”

Mikleo’s lips purse over this comment; presentation is _everything_ to him. “Texture is important, too. It’s just so much harder with this. Getting the ingredients ready is always perfectly fine. But as soon as it goes in the oven—”

“Don’t you think that you’re overthinking it a bit?” Having finished his first cookie, Sorey has quickly moved onto a second. Mikleo shrugs, finger tapping against his arm when he folds them.

“Maybe, maybe not. I’ve just _always_ been passionate about this. And it’s damn annoying to not get it right.”

The rest of the cookie disappears into Sorey’s mouth. He steps towards Mikleo, the latter grumbling as arms wrap around his waist and bring him closer. A thumb reaches to Mikleo’s face, rubbing at his cheek—it must be a fleck of flour.

“You can’t expect to become a master at it overnight.” After Sorey rubs the flour away, his finger pokes at Mikleo’s nose instead. “And you know what?”

“Enlighten me, I guess.”

“You’re still _absolutely amazing_ at making everything else.”

Mikleo shuffles on his feet, avoiding Sorey’s gaze. “Not really. It’s just a hobby.”

“A hobby you’re great at! Come on, how many times have I pestered you for your soft serve?”

“You being a greedy piece of work is the reason for that.” Sorey pouts, his hands shifting so they pinch at Mikleo’s cheeks instead. “S-Stop that—”

“Not until you admit that your soft serve is the tastiest!”

“Fine, I admit it’s my speciality.” Mikleo huffs as the pinching doesn’t stop. “And—all right, I _have_ spent a long time perfecting it, but—”

“But nothing.” The cheeks are finally released, which is a relief, although there’s still little to be done about the fact that Mikleo feels them warming up.

He considers escape, although seeming to predict this, Sorey places his hands on either side of Mikleo’s face to keep it lifted.

“And all the other treats you make are great, too!” Truly, Sorey must mean this, for a dreamy look has appeared in his eyes. “They’re always bursting with flavour, and they _look_ great, too. Sometimes I don’t even want to take a bite as I’d ruin them!”

“Sorey—”

“So I definitely imagine that with more practice with warm stuff, too, you’re going to be there in no time. I just know it, and they’re going to be just as delicious!”

Mikleo’s mouth opens and closes, unsure of how to respond. His only option is to take hold of Sorey’s arms to lower his hands, giving Mikleo the option of lowering his head. At least his hair covers his face this way.

“I appreciate it,” he mumbles. “But you don’t have to compliment me _this_ much. I’m not going to get discouraged, okay?”

“I’m glad, because you’d be missing out on making something special this way.” Sorey hums, his fingers playing with strands of Mikleo’s hair. “But really, there’s _so_ much more I can say.”

“Please don’t.”

“I don’t just like _eating_ your treats. There’s more to them, too.”

Curiosity gets the better of Mikleo, and he raises his head back up to Sorey. “What do you mean?”

The smile on Sorey’s face grows, tucking a few strands of hair behind Mikleo’s ear. “Well, like you said, you’re passionate about it. And that is arguably _the_ best thing I’ve ever seen. You have such deep concentration on your face when mixing things carefully, and you smile when you decorate … Sometimes you even hum or sing under your breath, too!”

Sorey laughs as Mikleo leans forward, hiding his face in Sorey’s chest. Arms wrap around him almost immediately. “Come on, why are you hiding?”

“You’re embarrassing me. How many compliments can you give in one breath?”

“Lots! I didn’t even go into how cute it is to see you watch someone out the corner of your eye, hoping to catch their immediate response to eating what you’ve made.”

A sigh against Sorey’s chest. He always hopes that no one notices that. It’s not as though he _purely_ makes treats because others want them. Even if it was him alone who ate what he made, he would still do so joyfully. But … he’d be lying if he said that other people’s enjoyment didn’t make it even more fulfilling.

“You know,” says Sorey, his chin resting on top of Mikleo’s head, “it’s not just this you work so hard with, either. I know you feel insecure about being behind everyone in battles, but you strive _so_ much more than anyone else I know.”

Mikleo buries himself that little more against Sorey, his arms slowly slipping around the other in return. His voice is muffled as he says, “I have to. For you.”

“Yeah, you do care about being stronger for me. And I’m _really_ grateful for that. But I admire how much you want to better yourself, _for_ yourself, too.”

Sorey coaxes Mikleo out from his hiding place, laughing when he emerges. “Your hair’s ruffled a bit—and your face! Why is it so red?”

“You’ve done nothing but compliment me for the past ten minutes!” Mikleo pinches the space between his eyebrows. “Idiot. I can’t even think of what to say back.”

“I’m not complimenting you to get praise back.” Hands return to Mikleo’s face, lips pressing against his cheek. “Like me saying you’re _adorable_ right now is purely because I need to let it out!”

“Stop it.” The hint of a whine in Mikleo’s voice; he’s practically melting into the floor, not helped by Sorey kissing the other cheek and his forehead as well. “Sorey—”

“Mm, and you’re _really_ pretty, so you’re the entire package.”

“I mean it—”

“Perfect, is what I’m getting at. Aside from the fact that you’re trying to avoid me kissing you—get back here, you!”

Mikleo turning his head to the side is unsuccessful—it’s easily brought back, and the kiss is on his lips this time. It’s in his nature to kiss back without a second thought. And somehow, despite how he can still feel his face burning, it helps ground him a little.

“I hate you so much,” he says as they part.

“Love you too, babe.”

Mikleo rolls his eyes, gently easing Sorey’s hands from his face. “All right, excessive compliments are over. I’m going to experiment with another batch, considering we’re taking it easy today.”

“Right you are! But …”

Sorey eyes up the ‘failed’ butter cookies. Though Mikleo rolls his own eyes, he cannot stop a smile from creeping on his face.

“Yes, you can demolish the failures. But make sure to share with Lailah—she’s the only one I trust not to mock me.”

“Yeah … Can’t say the same for the rest. I’ll save a few for her, so can I stay here?” Sorey waves his hands in the air in surrender as he sits down. “I _promise_ I’ll tone it down on the complimenting and not put you off.”

“I think watching me every time I lean over is a different way you’ll put me off, so does it matter?”

“Who says that I’m going to do that?” asks Sorey innocently, biting into another one of the cookies. Mikleo raises an eyebrow, smiling with amusement once he’s turned around.

“Fine, you can stay. Then I’ll have perfected cookies for you.”

“Right on!”

Mikleo smile softens, pausing as he begins to weigh the butter. A tongue licks his lips, and he says, “I—thank you, Sorey.”

“For which compliment?”

“I don’t even know.” He chuckles as Sorey laughs. “For cheering me on in general. You’re right, I’ve got this.”

“You really have! Become the best baker in Glenwood!”

“Too bad almost all of it can’t see me and appreciate my efforts.”

Although really, that hardly matters when he has the pleasure of putting a smile on Sorey’s face. His words mean far more than anyone else’s would.

**Author's Note:**

> Ah ... Mikleo being an awkward mess over compliments ... Thank you to myself for this fuel
> 
> If you'd like to request either a fluff or angst prompt, feel free to find me on Twitter @Oliver__Niko. I still have many great prompts up for grab!


End file.
